Displacement
by serianri
Summary: In Rakuzan High School, all sophomores are required to pair with a freshman and serve as their mentor throughout high school. Yuukari Tooru didn't mind the system until fate has it that she's paired up with none other than Teikou's emperor, the territorial Akashi Seijuurou.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Nothing beats the weather in Japan during April. I looked out the big open window on the second floor and took a big breath of fresh air. The smell of sweet cherry blossoms filled my lungs with the scent of spring. Groups of birds flew together in synchronization, displaying a mini performance in the cloudless blue sky. Honestly, nothing would have made the scene more beautiful...

"Miss Tooru!"

I turned to see a slender girl step out of the main office. The door flung open as the vice principal of Rakuzan High School stepped out and beckoned the fleeing girl to return.

"Miss Mika Tooru! It's your duty as the sophomore class president to be paired up with the incoming freshman!"

Rakuzan High School's goddess, Mika Tooru-my cousin (from my father's side)-whipped her head back and lashed out at the vice principal.

"Who does he think he is? How dare he talk to me like that? Go find someone else to shadow that cocky freshman!" Mika yelled as she crossed her arms over her chest and stormed out the building.

I immediately ducked my head down and turned around when Mika flew past me, but the vice principal still saw me. He waved his hand and I had no choice but to quietly approach him.

"You." The vice principal stressfully shook his head and placed a tired hand on my shoulder. "I need you to adopt a freshman."

"I'm already paired up with a freshman," I answered briefly. "You should ask the student council."

"Don't worry. I'll find another student to take your place." He looked at me pleadingly. "Mika was supposed to mentor this one, but it didn't work out." The young vice principal looked at me with such saddened eyes that forced me to pity him. When he sensed my sympathy, he knew he had won and then proceeded with his request.

"This incoming freshman isn't just any student. He's the first freshman at Rakuzan High to ever be the student council president. He should be finished with his speech at the opening ceremony. Make sure you make him feel welcomed. He should be here any min...There he is!"

I froze when I saw the boy standing across from me. He wore a tightly fitting white blazer with the prestigious Rakuzan crest situated proudly on the left side of his chest. The loose black tie around his neck perfectly complimented his blue collared-shirt that was exposed under his unbuttoned blazer. His hair was a deep red, slightly longer and spikier than it once was. And then there were his eyes-his heterochromatic eyes-quiet, emotionless, and indifferent.

I must have been shocked to see him because I suddenly began coughing violently: I forgot to breathe.

Much to my horror, the vice principal patted me on the back and took the chance to push me towards the very source of my discomfort.

"Mika forgot she already adopted a freshman. But we found someone just as good. She is in the same grade as Mika and will be your mentor. Ask her any questions you have." The vice principal smiled giddily, satisfied with his quick thinking and fast replacement; but his worried look returned when he saw the time and excused himself.

I closed my eyes and ran over the lines in my head. I took a deep breath and then finally turned to look up at the stoic freshman standing half a head taller than me.

"I'll show you to the cafeteria first."

I walked ahead, but stopped when I realized that my newly "adopted" freshman wasn't following behind. I looked at him, but he only looked at me with his usual composed attitude. I unconsciously turned around, facing my back to him. But then took a few deep breaths before clearing my throat.

"This way." I pointed to the stairs. "This way," I repeated. I knew he heard me, but he didn't budge. We stood there for at least a good fifteen seconds before I tried one last time. "I'm going to show you around Rakuzan, Akashi-kun!"

My frustrated expression was reciprocated by a sly smile on his face. He shoved both of his hands in his pockets and followed me down the stairs.

...

I was the only one talking throughout the entire tour of the main campus.

"This is the dining hall." He would slightly nod.

"This is the nurse's office." He would blink indifferently.

"This is the baseball field. And that over there is the soccer field." He would nod again and wait for me to fill in the silence with another "This is..."

But after three suffocating hours of walking alongside each other, I finally led him to the last destination. He quietly followed behind as I made a few turns before stopping in front of a grand building. I leaned against the door, expecting to hear the squeaking of shoes against the waxed floors of the indoor basketball courts, but was taken aback by the silence. I had thought that the basketball team would be training already, but I was wrong.

"This gym is reserved only for Rakuzan's basketball team. It's restricted to visito-"

The unpredictable freshman brushed past me and pushed open the heavy doors. He invited himself in and walked all the way to the center of the gym where he stood still and looked upwards. I gently closed the doors and walked towards the boy basking in the glory of the stupendous gym, one of the distinguishing features of Rakuzan.

I didn't know why, but watching him stand all alone in the middle of the court frightened me. He must have remembered my presence since he stared at me blankly.

"Are you going to try out for the basketball team?" I asked stupidly.

Akashi pierced me with a murderous glare, but quickly composed himself before I let the fear sink in. He then finally found the heart to speak.

"Don't ask what you already know."

I cast my eyes down to the floor. He was intimidating. I tolerated him for so long, trying my best to fulfill my duty as his upperclassman. I had hoped that maybe I'd be of some use, but that one sentence clarified everything.

"You already know the school. You d..don't need me to show you around anymore. I...I'm going to go home first." I fumbled with my words, as I blinked back the tears waiting to surface.

As I turned away, a solid grip found its way around my wrist and yanked me backwards. I was dragged through the door opposite of the entrance that led to boys' locker room.

"Let go!" I yelled, tears already spilling out. I already knew it was futile to try and escape. I already lost the battle-mentally and physically.

Akashi walked through the door and turned sharply into the boys' lockers. Surprised varsity players stood up when they saw us. I thought I was saved when I saw those tall basketball players, but before I could plead for help, they quickly exited the locker room.

Akashi didn't release me. He pushed me hard against a cold locker and looked straight at me with his unreadable eyes.

"Look at me." Akashi's voice was commanding, like it always was. He didn't change at all from the time he was in Teikou except for the fact that he was now taller, quieter, and lonelier.

I couldn't meet his gaze. I avoided looking at him for the entire day already. He doesn't show it, but he seems angry. He must be angry.

He repeated his words one more time in a lower and more impatient tone, but I remained stubborn and looked away. It took everything to stay strong, to pretend that I wasn't scared, to force myself to stop trembling. I wasn't going to let Akashi do this to me, not ever...again.

...

Annoyed by her reaction, he pinned both her hands above her head. His left hand was enough to imprison the struggling girl. Before she had the time to kick free, the redhead shifted his knee right in between her legs and pressed himself against her so that she couldn't reach the ground nor try anything else.

"I said..."

The girl's knees buckled in fear, still trembling uncontrollably. Her arms felt heavy. By now, she already gave up her little struggle and obediently allowed Akashi to subdue her. When he sensed her inevitable submission, a grin formed on his face, but faded as quickly as it appeared. He did not get what he wanted yet. She finally let her tears fall freely, but not once did she spare him the slightest glance.

"Look. At. Me."

Akashi, using his only free hand, forcefully tilted the helpless girl's face to meet his. But much to his distress, she shut her eyes, once again dodging his gaze.

"We're in high school now," the girl whimpered. "Why do you still do this?"

Much to her surprise, Akashi released her arms and removed his leg, allowing her to move again. He then watched as she wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

Akashi stared silently, not knowing how else to act around her. He didn't particularly enjoy watching her cry, but that was what she deserved for

avoiding him.

...

He blankly watched me wipe away the tears that only formed again. I had thought that I would be crying for another hour, but I stopped the minute I felt a large hand behind the back of my head, pulling me into him.

His clothes carried the same familiar scent of light cologne. That brought back many memories. Before I had time to drift off into memory lane, Akashi bent down, leaned close, and whispered, "Yuukari."

His hot breath and mellow breathing sent the tiny hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. My body went completely numb, unable to move. And it was then that our eyes met, for the first time since I graduated from Teikou. And his eyes were just as I remembered them-confident and unwavering.

...

"As much as I enjoy the view, I think we need to clarify who's girlfriend she is."

"Ken-kun." The blushing Yuukari immediately shied away from Akashi and walked to the tall boy who suddenly appeared.

Much to the vulnerable girl's surprise, the boy looped his strong arms around her waist and kissed her unexpectedly on her lips. Yuukari's eyes widened in surprise at her first kiss. But hers weren't the only ones open.

As Ken forced his lips onto Yuukari, he tauntingly stared straight at Akashi. He smirked at the quiet redhead.

Yuukari struggled, but was only set free when Ken had his fun in front of Akashi. The crying girl stared at her boyfriend in disgust before running out of the cold locker room.

"Girls are so dramatic." Ken snorted as he walked out, abandoning Akashi in the lockers.

Akashi watched indifferently as the boy disappeared. He then walked casually to the sink and turned on the faucet. He released his fist and placed his self-injured hand under the cold water and let the blood slowly wash off.

"Rakuzan would have less one student starting tomorrow."

The emperor's words are always absolute.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you liked how I chose to portray Akashi. I'm aware that I'm switching from first person to third person. If this is confusing for you, I'm here to clarify. But I feel like writing like this presents the story in a different light. If you liked this, please leave a comment. If you didn't, you have the option of telling me why. I'm open to all criticisms. <strong>

**Thanks for reading. Hope I can see you again next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

On the second day of school, Yuukari sat on table closest to the exit in the dining hall. Usually she would sit with Mika who was always accompanied by the more socially accepted crowd, but with the absence of her boyfriend Ken, she didn't feel in the mood to force herself to mingle.

Just when Yuukari got up to return her tray, she overheard her neighbors sharing the newest gossip. The minute the two girls next to her finished laughing, Yuukari got up and ran. It wasn't like she knew where he was, but she did her best to guess.

...

In the third floor of the building, the basketball team was having a new meeting concerning the new recruitment of freshmen players. The team passed out a few forms and reminded the interested students of the tryouts after school. The meeting just about ended when a second year female student greeted the players with an unexpected visit.

Yuukari slid open the door to the classroom where over fifteen pairs of eyes turned to stare at her. She felt her face immediately heat up.

"What do you want?" a commanding voice asked. The frightened girl recognized that he was from her class so she pointed at the shorter redhead standing next to him. Another boy stepped up and blocked her view.

"Another girl trying to meet the new popular freshman. You should leave."

The boy felt a strong hand clamp down on his shoulder. He turned to see that it was Akashi.

"She's my 'mentor.'" Akashi turned his head and the other people took hint and trailed out, leaving the classroom to the two students.

When they were alone, Akashi looked at Yuukari with the same impassive eyes.

"Why are you here?" he asked in a monotone voice.

Yuukari felt more anger boiling inside of her. She knew that he knew exactly what she was here for. But she had no time to get sidetracked.

"Akashi Seijuurou. What did you do to Ken?" Yuukari barked. She stared at him straight in the eyes.

Akashi got up from the desk he was leaning against and closed in the two feet gap between the two. As he stepped closer, the girl found herself retreating backwards until she hit the black chalkboard.

"He's expelled from Rakuzan," Akashi revealed with no signs of guilt. He leaned in close to Yuukari who was ducking to avoid direct contact.

"I don't know what Ken ever did to you. But you didn't have to get him expelled from school." Yuukari felt hot tears roll down her cheeks again. "If you want to bully me, you don't have to hurt those around me."

Akashi terrified the girl when his bandaged right hand slammed on the chalkboard behind her. Her eyes shot up and she had to blink a few times to recover from her trembling.

"Bully?" Akashi gritted his teeth. Yuukari bit down on her lips. She knew that the redhead was angry, but she had to continue.

"Rakuzan is very hard to get into. If you expelled Ken, you basically ruined his future. Akashi do you know?" Yuukari pleaded for the younger boy to find a way to return her boyfriend.

Much to her surprise, instead of getting angrier, Akashi pushed his weight off the board behind her and stood straight. She gathered all her courage to look up at him only to see an ominous smirk light up his usual grave expression.

"Are you asking because you care about him?"

Akashi spoke calmly, making sure that every single word was clear. Yuukari stared at him blankly, contemplating an appropriate answer for the situation.

"Or is it because he's your first boyfriend?"

Akashi bent down so she could not avoid looking at him.

"Or is it because of guilt?"

Yuukari's eyes widened.

"What do you want me to say?" her little voice sounded. "I just want him to return to school. Is that too much to ask?" Yuukari whimpered.

"Why? Is it because he's the only one who bothered to accept someone like you?" Akashi asked menacingly.

Yuukari raised her hand to slap the freshman. She stopped when she realized that Akashi had no intention of deflecting her attack. She couldn't bring herself to hit him especially when he was purposely waiting for her to do so. She took a deep breath and recalled her initial goal. Her best bet to help Ken was to be on good terms with Akashi and not anger him.

Yuukari slowly pulled her hand back down and stuck to her bad habit of looking down at the floor. The trembling girl held back her easily activated tears and gripped onto her black skirt. She searched for the words to say and finally opened her mouth.

"What do I need to do?" Yuukari winced at the familiarity of those words. She never would have imagined that she would have to say it ever again to that person.

Akashi noticed her flinch and was suddenly surged with wrath. He grabbed her thin frame and shoved her onto the closest desk behind him. Yuukari attempted to get up by pushing from her elbows, but slipped back down after losing balance. Akashi immediately pinned her down, securing all possibility of her leaving his invisible prison.

Yuukari shut her eyes and covered her mouth with her two hands. Every inch of her bare skin that Akashi's hand roamed became instantly hot. His delicate fingers ran upwards and eventually crept up her short skirt. In seconds, she felt the string of her underwear being detached from her skin.

By now, Yuukari was shivering wildly. With just his simple action, the girl was bombarded with all the memories he carved into her in Teikou. When she thought she couldn't hold back anymore, she bit down on her hand to suppress her trembling.

Suddenly, Akashi removed his hands. Yuukari then felt his white blazer drop on top of her. She swallowed hard and sat up on the desk to look at him with her red eyes.

"If you want him back, be prepared to be caressed like this." Akashi drained the last bit of dignity in the girl. He looked down on her with his omniscient heterochromatic eyes one last time before violently flinging open the door.

After seeing him exit and completely depleted of energy, Yuukari folded her knees to her chest and sobbed into his uniform.

...

At the dinner table back home in the mansion, Mika's parents stared worriedly at their nephew.

"Yuu-chan. Are you okay? Your eyes are red." Mrs. Tooru looked at the quiet seventeen year-old with concern. "Are you feeling okay?"

Yuukari kept her head low and nodded quickly. She picked up her chopsticks and began eating faster. Mika, who was sitting next to her cousin, was profoundly amused. It was rare to ever see any change in her boring cousin. Unlike Mika, Yuukari was quiet, conserved, and plain. That also explained why no one believed her when they said they were cousins.

After washing the dishes, Yuukari happily retired into her room to take a hot shower and wash away the feeling of Akashi's touch that still clung to her persistently.

As Yuukari stood in her shower and allowed pellets of water to make contact with her skin, she closed her eyes. She picked up her bar of soap and rubbed it onto her skin until it turned red. No matter how much she tried getting rid of the feeling, she found it almost impossible-just like the first time in Teikou.

* * *

><p>Thank you all who responded to this story whether by following, favoriting, andor reviewing. Your support is appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Yuukari walked out of the shower with a white towel wrapped around her wet hair. She honestly didn't have enough energy left in her thin arms to fling the water droplets from her hair. Before she had time to plop in her bed, she caught a little shadow shuffling through her drawers.

"Your closet is so boring." Mika turned around and looked at her dark-hair cousin. "The school uniform is the best outfit you have here."

Yuukari blinked at the intruder. "Why are you in my room?" Mika was probably the second to last person she wanted to see at the moment, the first being Akashi.

Mika, dressed in a soft purple silk nightgown, skipped onto Yuukari's bed and planted herself on one side. She patted the open space next to her, inviting the owner of the bed to join her. Yuukari let out a deep sigh and made her way next to the pretty girl.

"Heard your boyfriend got expelled." Mika smirked. "I knew something was wrong with him."

Yuukari looked at her cousin ungratefully. "What do you mean?"

Mika cocked her head to one side and feigned innocence. "Don't tell me you don't know," she teased. "Ken was expelled for blackmailing all the girls he slept with, especially the quiet ones who were too scared to speak up. To think he kept photos and videos. Good thing someone caught him before he ruined the Rakuzan student reputation...and yours."

Seeing the shock on Yuukari's face, Mika dipped her head and scanned her cousin's face.

"You didn't do anything with him right?" Mika asked curiously.

"No. Of course not."

"Didn't think so." Mika nodded and then leapt up from the bed and headed to the door. "Sweet dreams."

Yuukari watched as her talkative cousin closed the door to her room. Mika, although spoiled, had her own ways of expressing concern.

The tired girl then fell back on her bed and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure about anything anymore. About Ken. About herself. About Akashi.

Could Akashi have been looking out for her?

...

Ever since the mini revelation, Yuukari did her best to avoid the redhead. She didn't know what to say if she were to meet with him. Nor would she be able to not say anything if they were to cross paths. So for the rest of the opening week, the distressed sophomore kept a low profile. Whenever she coincidentally stumbled upon the same hallway as him, she would quickly enter a classroom or change floors, whichever suitable.

But avoiding someone had its own limitations especially true in Rakuzan's tight community. The Rakuzan tradition promoted community connection through more interaction between students and staff alike.

Thus, it was no surprise that by the fourth week of school, all mentors were required to meet with their little "kouhais" and begin the first stages of "bonding." Indeed, this sounds absurd, even to the student council who runs the school.

It was bothersome to begin with, everyone agreed. But no one knew it was as good as it gets until Mika involved herself.

Mika received an invitation to her favorite concert, which happened to take place on the first day of "bonding". Unable to postpone her school spirit exercise, she decided to suggest something better. She then advised the principal to allow mentors and mentees to "bond" on their own time. Thrilled to replace the old system with Mika's "exceptional" idea, the enthusiastic principal arranged it so that student effort was raised above and beyond.

In other words, the entire schedule for the school year was rearranged. Thus, the first bonding meeting was cancelled, much to Mika's plans. The following day, a major announcement was broadcasted throughout the school. It went something like this:

"Attention all Rakuzan students. This coming Friday, all sophomore mentors paired with underclassman on the basketball team are required to attend the basketball game place after school. All mentors with underclassman participating in the art fair must attend Saturday afternoon art exhibit."

There was a long pause as the students whispered among themselves.

"If there are any inconveniences, students must prepare a reasonable excuse and submit it at least forty-eight hours in advance. Concerning students with sport practices and other activities that represent the school, drop by the main office to discuss alternative bonding times and exercises. That is all."

The girl sitting next to Yuukari nudged the former's arm. "Isn't your freshman on the basketball team?"

Yuukari's eyes widened in horror as she absorbed the information.

...

On Friday after school, Yuukari found herself sitting on the bleachers of the indoor school gym. She swallowed as she watched the school team trail in. For a second, the stunned girl made eye contact with the stoic captain of the team.

From the moment the game commenced, Yuukari was shaking, hoping the game would hurry and end. She shut her eyes to stop herself from imagining the worse. Everything was becoming way too familiar. The nostalgic feeling she got by watching the serious redhead play. She knew she had to leave right when Rakuzan wins. She was determined to just rush out with the crowd and call it a day. Do not make eye contact with the freshman. Absolutely do not follow the cheering supporters of the basketball team. Never enter the locker room with Akashi. Ever.

After two long hours of dreading, Yuukari was relieved when the buzzer sounded, marking yet another unsurprising victory of Rakuzan High. She immediately scurried down the bleachers and headed for the door that seemed so far away.

Yuukari had her eye on the door for the longest time. But right when the massive audience jammed the main exit, she spared the other direction a glance. She looked over at the Rakuzan players being approached by people. Some were congratulated by their parents for their first win of the new year. Others were praised by their cute girlfriends.

And then she caught a glimpse of a lonely figure exiting to the locker room by himself. As if sensing the girl's presence, Akashi turned around and stared straight at the shocked girl.

Yuukari whipped around to the exit, but then clenched her hand into a fist as she slowly walked towards the waiting boy.

"Congratulations," she said weakly.

Akashi nodded and turned to leave. As Yuukari watched him walk away, she couldn't help but feel unsettled. She had imagined that he would stop and tease or insult her more. She did not think that he would simply leave it at that.

"Akashi-kun." Yuukari ran a few steps until she was three feet away from him. "Thank you." She looked at him seriously.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"Because... you were looking after me. I didn't know Ken was act-"

Upon hearing those words, Akashi smirked. That was not a good sign.

"I think you got something wrong. I'm the student council president. It's only natural I keep the Rakuzan reputation clean." Akashi made a swift turn and headed to the lockers. He purposely turned around to relay a few more words. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

Yuukari stood stupidly as she watched the arrogant freshman exit. Not long later, she left herself, all the way scolding herself for ever being so gullible.

...

_Akashi knew it was raining heavily outside. He knew the sky was crying with him. But what he didn't understand was why he could feel droplets of water hitting his hair. He was undoubtedly under a roof, kneeling beside his late mother, in the abandoned room. Older Akashi already left with his entourage to attend a meeting. All the other relatives already retired home. Akashi shook his hair, flinging off the wet droplets and continued to cry._

_In less than a few seconds, he felt himself sprinkled with water once again. The eleven year-old redhead looked up to see a taller girl tower over him._

_His red eyes watched her as she wiped away the snot hanging from her nose. Whoever said girls looked the prettiest when they were crying-well, Akashi knew it was a myth._

_When the girl finally stopped rubbing her eyes, she looked at the small boy in front of her._

_"If you cry, Nee-chan might cry too. So please don't cry." The girl looked at the innocent boy's sad expression and then broke down once again, wetting his red hair and his black shirt._

_Akashi silently stared at her and immediately stopped his own crying. He was never going to allow himself to fall to such an ugly state, never._

_After a few more minutes of staring, he found the older girl rather annoying. He reached down and handed his pack of napkins to the whimpering girl._

_The girl looked at the boy who offered an unnaturally crooked smile, a smile that looked both forced and pained. But she accepted the offering and rubbed his short hair._

_..._

Yuukari shot up from her reclined position. The tired girl shook her head and slowly lied back down.

"He's completely changed now."

* * *

><p>Thank you everyone for following, favoriting, reviewing, and reading. Your support is much appreciated.<p> 


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